Patent EA-002850-B1 (EA)
Title: Device for connecting and laying successive parts of a submarine pipeline from a boat and uses thereof
Inventor: ROGER PIERRE
IPC: F16L1/20
Filed: 2000-04-28
Abstract: 1. A device for connecting and laying successive parts of a submarine pipeline from a boat (2), the device comprises at the boat: (A) a laying tower for laying a pipeline (3) which can be inclined in a variable manner and equipped with a means (43) to maintain the weight already submerged part of said pipeline and maintain, if necessary, in the plane (44) of assembling the part of the pipeline immerging from water, and also means (14-16) adapted to receive a new part of said pipeline along the longitudinal axis (12) and bringing it to said assembling plane, and guiding means, (B) means (100a, 100b, 101a, 101b) forming a horizontal pivotal axis (11) of said laying tower on the boat enabling to orient said laying tower at such an angle which is suitable for laying a new part of said pipeline at sea, (C) means (22-26) adapted to enable controlling pivoting the laying tower and maintaining them in the required inclined position, (D) means (20, 31-34) for locating on said laying tower a new part of a pipeline, and (E) a work station (51a, 52b) equipped with means to realize the assembly, characterized in that said work station is borne independently from the laying tower by the boat and that pivoting axis (11) crosses with said longitudinal laying axis (12) substantially in said assembly plane (44). 2. The device of Claim 1, characterized in that the device comprises means (82, 86, 330, 340) on said support presenting a curvature for guiding onto said support a continuous pipeline fed from a drum (92). 3. The device of Claim 1, characterized in that said device comprises a hinged beam (30) and means (31, 34) for adjusting and maintaining said hinged beam (30) in the required position in case when it is inclined, wherein said hinged beam is further equipped with means (330, 340) presenting curvature for guiding to said support a continuous pipeline fed from the drum (92), when said hinged beam (30) is in this position. 4. The device of Claims 2 and 3, characterized in that said means (330, 340), presenting curvature, comprise a guide chute. 5. The device of Claims 2 and 3, characterized in that said means (330, 340), presenting curvature, comprise a guide pulley. 6. The device of any Claim 2 to 5, characterized in that said hinged beam (30) has a U-shaped upper end. 7. The device of any Claim 2 to 6, characterized in that said means (334, 335) adapted to maintain the hinged beam (30) in the required position comprise means of the beam (30) blocking on said laying tower (10) and comprise a constructive coupling element (334) associated with a lock (335). 8. The device of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the device comprises said hinged beam (30) capable to retain a rigid part of the pipeline and mounted on a boat adapted to hinge around a substantially horizontal axis of the beam, wherein the pivot axis of the beam preferably coincides with the hinge axis (11) of the laying tower and means (20, 31-34) are provided to control pivoting of said hinginged beam between its substantially horizontal initial position which allows to arrange or form said part of pipeline on said hinged beam on the base of the available stock, and the inclined position of transfer, in which this part can be transferred to said laying tower (3), which is prior to that is transferred to its operational inclined position. 9. The device of any Claim 1 to 7, characterized in that said work station (51a) is displaceable on said boat. 10. The device of Claim 9, characterized in that said laying tower is a laying mast permitting displacement of said work station (51a) inside the mast or through it. 11. The device of Claim 9 or 10, characterized in that said work station (51a) is displaceable parallel to the longitudinal axis of said boat. 12. The device of any preceding Claim, characterized in that said work station (51a) comprises a floor (200) for displacement personnel and a ceiling (201) or a ceiling structure on which feed and supply means are arranged required for functioning welding heads positioned immediately from said assembling plane. 13. The device of Claim 12, characterized in that said work station comprises a circular conveyor (124) on which said feed and supply means are positioned. 14. The device of Claim 13, characterized in that said circular conveyor (124) comprises a cut for passing a new part of said pipeline. 15. The device of any Claim 13 and 14, characterized in that said circular conveyor (124) is displaceable translation between the operational position and a stand-by retracted position. 16. The device of any Claim 13 to 15, characterized in that said circular conveyor (124) is powered by a rotating electrical coupling formed by a circular busbar made from electro-conductive metal and fastened on the rotating part (124) of said circular conveyor, and by two systems of ramp shoes (242) fastened on a guide support (125). 17. The device of any preceding Claim, characterized in that said work station comprises first means to realize said assembling, and second means for performing auxiliary services, both means are interchangeable. 18. The device of Claim 17, characterized in that said work station comprises two interchangeable cabins comprising the first means and the second means respectively. 19. The device of Claim 17, characterized in that said first and second means are housed in one cabin. 20. The device of Claims 17 to 19, characterized in that said first and second means comprise respective circular conveyors. 21. The device of any preceding Claim characterized in that said laying tower (10) comprises a bottom part (40) beneath said pivot axis (11) and hingedly fastened on the rest part of the laying tower relative the axis (41) parallel said pivot axis, said bottom part is equipped with means (43) permitting to maintain the part of the pipeline already submerged into water. 22. The device of any preceding Claim characterized in that comprises a hoisting polyspast (14) displaceable over said laying tower (10) along said longitudinal laying axis (12) driven by a winch via polyspast cable and which comprises in its front part hingedly fastened an extension lever (15) equipped with an openable catch (16) the opening of which is controlled with a mechanical drive and which is intended for catching the upper end of a new part of said pipeline, wherein said extension lever has a length, sufficient to reach said assembling plane (44) positioned within said work station (51), said lever is operated via a driving means. 23. The device of any preceding Claim characterized in that said laying tower is equipped with tensioning means (60) adapted for tensioning laterally said pipeline above said pivoting axis and displaceable between two positions corresponding to respective tensioning said pipeline along the principal laying axis (12) and tensioning said pipeline along a secondary laying axis (13) parallel to said principal axis and more distant than said principal axis from said pivot axis of the laying tower (11). 24. The device of Claim 23, characterized in that said laying tower comprises means (93) for straightening said pipeline positioned above said tensioning means and adapted for bringing a straight-line configuration that part of the pipeline, which is fed after rolling out. 25. 1. A device for connecting and laying successive parts of a submarine pipeline from a boat (2), the device comprises at the boat: (A) a laying tower for laying a pipeline (3) which can be inclined in a variable manner and equipped with a means (43) to support the weight already submerged part of said pipeline and maintain, if necessary, in the plane (44) of assembling the part of the pipeline immerging from water, and also means (14-16) adapted to receive a new part of said pipeline along the longitudinal axis (12) and bringing it to said assembling plane, and guiding means, (B) means (100a, 100b, 101a, 101b) forming a horizontal pivotal axis (11) of said laying tower on the boat enabling to orient said laying tower at such an angle which is suitable for laying a new part of said pipeline at sea, (C) means (22-26) adapted to enable controlling pivoting the laying tower and maintaining them in the required inclined position, (D) means (20, 31-34) for locating on said laying tower a new part of a pipeline, and (E) a work station (51a, 52b) equipped with means to realize the assembly, characterized in that the device comprises a hinged beam, capable to maintain a new part of said pipeline, said hinged beam is mounted on a boat (2) adapted to hinge around said pivot axis (11) and equipped with displacement means (320) adapted to maintain a new part of said pipeline on that hinged beam (30) and displacing that new part of the pipeline along said beam for feeding a new part of the pipeline in the position of assembling in said assembling plane (44). 26. The device for laying the pipeline from a boat, the device comprises: (A) a laying tower for laying a pipeline (3) which can be inclined in a variable manner and equipped with a means (43) to maintain the weight already submerged part of said pipeline; (B) means (100a, 100b, 101a, 101b) forming a horizontal pivotal axis (11) of said laying tower on the boat enabling to orient said laying tower at such an angle which is suitable for laying a new part of said pipeline at sea, (C) means (22-26) adapted to enable controlling pivoting the laying tower and maintaining them in the required inclined position, characterized in that the device comprises a hinged beam (30)adapted to maintain said pipeline, said hinged beam is mounted on the boat (2) adapted to hinge around substantially horizontal pivotal axis of said beam, said pivotal axis of the beam preferably coincides with the pivotal axis of the laying tower (11), said hinged beam comprises means (330, 340) for feeding and guiding the pipeline continuously, said means (330, 340) presenting such a curvature that said pipeline is guided to said laying to